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Aerial view of the Punta Uvita sandbar and its two bays.

Costa Rica · Uvita & Ballena

Beaches of Ballena Marine National Park

One ticket covers all four sectors for the day; plan around the tide table.

6 places2 closed or restricted, flagged

  1. Whale’s Tail1

    BeachOpen

    Whale’s Tail

    Uvita sector, Ballena Marine National Park2.8 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    7:00 to 17:00
    Booking
    Not needed

    A sand-and-rock tombolo shaped like a whale’s tail that low tide uncovers in the Uvita sector of Ballena Marine National Park. You can walk to the tip; the shape is best seen from above.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).
    Hours
    Uvita sector 7:00 to 17:00, daily. The Tail can only be walked at low tide (about 6 hours of the cycle).
    Booking
    No reservation or guide required; pay at the park booth. Private lots at the entrance charge about ₡2,000–4,000 a day (2025).
    Time needed
    About 2 km and 30 minutes on foot from the entrance; plan 1.5 to 3 h with beach time.

    Tip: Arrive at the start of low tide and leave before it turns. For independent snorkelling, mask and snorkel are allowed but fins are not.

    Nearby: Uvita Beach (Uvita sector) (1.7 km) · Humpback whale watching (1.7 km) · Kayak and stand-up paddle in Ballena Marine Park (1.7 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Marino Ballena National Park (updated Nov 2025)

  2. Uvita Beach (Uvita sector)2

    Photo: Alfarjores, CC BY 4.0

    BeachOpen

    Uvita Beach (Uvita sector)

    Bahía Ballena, west of Uvita village1.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    7:00–17:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A long, palm-lined dark-sand beach at the park’s main entrance, where the walk to the Whale’s Tail and the tour boats start. It is a good sunset spot.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +3

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).
    Hours
    7:00–17:00, daily (SINAC).

    Tip: Wikivoyage notes crocodile warning signs at the estuary near the entrance: don’t swim there. Use 'Parqueo Bahía' in Google Maps or 'Entrada sector Uvita' in Waze.

    Nearby: Humpback whale watching (0 km) · Kayak and stand-up paddle in Ballena Marine Park (0 km) · Colonia Beach (Colonia sector) (0.4 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Marino Ballena National Park (updated Nov 2025) · My Tan Feet – Things to do in Uvita (updated Nov 2025) · Wikivoyage – Uvita

  3. 3

    BeachOpen

    Colonia Beach (Colonia sector)

    About 10 minutes’ drive south of the Uvita sector0.8 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    7:00–18:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A park sector south of Uvita, favoured by locals and surfers for its waves and a little quieter than the Whale’s Tail, which you can walk to along the beach.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).
    Hours
    7:00–18:00, daily (SINAC).

    Tip: There are private car parks (₡2,000–4,000 in 2025) and food stands at the entrance. Watch for rip currents.

    Nearby: Uvita Beach (Uvita sector) (0.4 km) · Humpback whale watching (0.4 km) · Kayak and stand-up paddle in Ballena Marine Park (0.4 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Marino Ballena National Park (updated Nov 2025)

  4. 4

    BeachOpen

    Ballena Beach (Ballena sector)

    About 7 km south of Uvita on the Costanera6.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    8:00–16:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A sector with a ranger post by Punta Ballena, where there are forest patches, and the official entry point for reaching Playa Arco at low tide.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).
    Hours
    SINAC lists 8:00–16:00; a 2025 guide says 7:00–16:00.

    Tip: Each sector has toilets, showers and hand basins. Pets, alcohol, single-use plastic and horse riding are not allowed.

    Nearby: Arco Beach (1.9 km) · Piñuela Beach (Piñuela sector) (2.6 km) · Dolphins and snorkelling at Isla Ballena (2.9 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Things to do in Uvita (updated Nov 2025)

  5. 5

    BeachRestricted access

    Arco Beach

    Between the Colonia and Ballena sectors; official access via the Ballena sector4.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A secluded beach in the park, between rocks and forest, that can only be reached and left at low tide.

    Tide-restricted: SINAC only allows entry and exit at low tide, via the Ballena sector. From the post it is about 30 minutes across beach, a river and forest. If the tide doesn’t suit, go to Playa Ballena or Colonia instead.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).

    Tip: Check the tide table at the entrance booth and don’t leave valuables on the beach or in the car.

    Nearby: Ballena Beach (Ballena sector) (1.9 km) · Dolphins and snorkelling at Isla Ballena (3 km) · Scuba diving in Ballena Marine Park (3 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Things to do in Uvita (updated Nov 2025) · My Tan Feet – Marino Ballena National Park (updated Nov 2025)

  6. 6

    BeachRestricted access

    Piñuela Beach (Piñuela sector)

    About 10 km south of Uvita, before Ojochal8.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    $6.78
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The park’s southernmost sector, at Punta Piñuela, with a small beach and one of the best-preserved forest patches on the land side.

    Sources disagree: SINAC lists it open 8:00 to 16:00, but a guide updated in November 2025 says the sector was temporarily closed. Confirm before going; if it is closed, visit Playa Ballena or Playa Ventanas.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $6.78 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children, VAT included; card only. Valid all day in all four sectors (SINAC).

    Nearby: Ventanas Beach (sea caves) (1.5 km) · Ballena Beach (Ballena sector) (2.6 km) · Dolphins and snorkelling at Isla Ballena (4.2 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Marino Ballena · My Tan Feet – Marino Ballena National Park (updated Nov 2025)

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